Senators vs Predators

Nashville skates into this one on the back of consecutive losses, while Ottawa just snapped a two-game skid with a 4-1 win in Columbus, setting up a classic spot where the Predators badly need to steady themselves on home ice. With Linus Ullmark still listed on injured reserve for Ottawa and only depth defender Adam Wilsby on the Nashville injury report, the Predators have the cleaner roster and a clear edge in goal with Juuse Saros compared to a Senators tandem leaning on James Reimer and Hunter Shepard. Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg have historically feasted on Ottawa Josi with 25 points in 24 career games vs the Senators, Forsberg with 14 in 18, while Brady Tkachuk’s 10 points in 13 games against Nashville underline that Ottawa’s captain is a real threat despite missing time earlier this season. Layer that on top of Ottawa’s profile as a high-event team north of 3.2 goals for and 3.3 allowed per game, strong power play but bottom-tier penalty kill against a Predators side with more stable special teams and Saros’ proven workload, plus the emotional surge of Josi’s 1,000th NHL game in front of a Bridgestone crowd that’s seen Nashville already beat Ottawa once this season, and the short home price starts to look attractive. Both clubs are past the midway point of the schedule and sitting outside the top eight in their conferences, so this has genuine playoff-race weight, and at nearly a coin-flip between Ottawa -118 and Nashville -105, the marginal value tilts toward the Predators on their own ice; that’s enough for a B-grade moneyline play that balances a solid edge with modest risk-reward. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 22/01/2026 09:34

Recent form and roster context both lean toward a game that gets to at least six goals: Ottawa just dropped four on the Blue Jackets to close its road swing while still allowing chances, and Nashville’s mini losing streak has come with defensive wobble rather than a scoring drought, which is not ideal when you’re facing a Senators group that plays an up-tempo, high-event style. Ullmark’s ongoing absence keeps Ottawa’s net in the hands of Reimer and Shepard, and while Saros is capable of stealing a game, the Predators’ blue line hasn’t consistently insulated him, with both teams sitting around the 3.0–3.3 goals-against range despite respectable shot suppression numbers. Add in the star power that historically drives production when these teams meet—Josi and Forsberg combining for nearly a point per game each over long samples against Ottawa, and Tkachuk regularly on the scoresheet versus Nashville—plus Tim Stützle’s current role as Ottawa’s leading scorer, and there’s enough individual finishing talent on both benches to punish any special-teams mistakes. Statistically, Senators games are already averaging well above six total goals thanks to their mix of top-tier power play and bottom-of-the-league penalty kill, while the Predators sit a bit above six combined per night with a middling power play that should benefit from Ottawa’s PK. With both sides fighting to stay relevant in their respective playoff chases past the halfway point of the season, a tight scoreline doesn’t necessarily mean a low total—late-game aggressiveness pulled goalies, riskier pinches often inflates scoring in this kind of bubble matchup—so despite the heavy -133 juice, the Over 6 earns a B-: the probability edge is there, but the price leaves less upside than ideal. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 22/01/2026 09:34foxsports1400.iheart.com

Given how tightly matched these records are and how both teams have been living on the margin lately—Ottawa clawing out a road win to halt a skid and Nashville stuck in a short losing streak after an extended run without back-to-back defeats—this projects as the kind of game that very often lands within a single goal, which naturally points us toward the Predators on the puckline. Ottawa’s most notable absence remains Ullmark, keeping their goaltending situation less stable than Nashville’s, while the Predators’ only listed injury is Wilsby, leaving their core of Saros in net plus Josi, Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Luke Evangelista intact for Josi’s 1,000th-game celebration; that depth makes it harder to envision Nashville getting blown out at home even if Ottawa’s top line has a big night. Historically, Josi and Forsberg have generated strong point totals against the Senators, and Tkachuk has done the same versus Nashville, reinforcing the idea that the stars on both sides tend to trade punches rather than one team completely running away with the matchup. With both clubs beyond 41 games and hovering around the playoff bubble, expect more of a playoff-style, grind-it-out feel in the third period, where coaches shorten benches and lean on trusted veterans—conditions that often produce one-goal finals whether the favorite ultimately sneaks it out or not. Laying -220 on Nashville +1.5 isn’t cheap, but with Ottawa only a small moneyline favorite at -118, the implied probability of the Predators at home losing by multiple goals feels relatively low, so this puckline lands at a B+ grade: high likelihood of cashing but with reduced monetary upside due to the heavy price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 22/01/2026 09:34